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One-minute evaluation
Thrustmaster is arguably on the high of its sport in relation to flight sticks, so it’s maybe not all that shocking that the corporate is now making a play for area sim gear.
The Sol-R vary has a cute identify, however don’t let that idiot you – it is a severe stick (or pair thereof) for anybody who spends loads of time within the hour-devouring black mass of titles like Elite Harmful.
In case you’re not taking part in a complete lot of area video games, it won’t attraction, and the taller and extra built-in nature of the Thrustmaster F/A-18 Super Hornet would nonetheless be our choose for one of the best flight stick. Nonetheless, if what you’re taking part in has a complete host of fiddly toggles, mapping these to the Sol-R’s array of switches, buttons, and dials appears like magic.
Forward of the launch, it’s price noting that issues aren’t fairly dialed in, so in the interim, you possibly can anticipate to spend loads of time tweaking buttons and mapping, but when that’s what you’re searching for in your subsequent voyage, it is a excellent place to start out for below $200/£200 – not less than form of.
I used to be despatched the Duo pack which incorporates each Sol-R sticks for the right-hand and left-hand, which can value you significantly extra ($389.99 or £299.99). Nonetheless, with every packing loads of inputs, even a single stick may very well be superb to your setup.
Value and availability
- Checklist value: $199.99 / £159.99, or $389.99 / £299.99 for the Duo
- Out there worldwide
- Pre-orders open March 19, obtainable April 16
Whereas every stick within the Sol-R vary will run you $199.99 / £159.99, they’re significantly cheaper than rivals just like the Saitek Professional Flight, however just a little greater than Thrustmaster’s personal T.Flight Hotas One.
You may preorder from March 19, and so they’ll begin transport on April 16, 2025. Whereas no throttle is included, you should utilize the Thrust sliders on the entrance of the bottom.
That pricing makes it just a little greater than the T-Flight Hotas One, which stays Thrustmaster’s entry-level mannequin however doesn’t embrace as many buttons, switches, or LED lighting. In truth, it’s round an analogous value to Turtle Seaside’s VelocityOne which is comparatively comparable when it comes to function set.
Specs
|
Value |
$199.99 / £159.99, or $389.99 / £299.99 for the Duo |
|
Dimensions |
9.72 x 7.71 x 7.71in / 247 x 196 x 196mm |
|
Weight |
2.86lbs / 1.3kg |
|
Platforms |
Wi-fi (2.4GHz and Bluetooth), Wired (USB Kind-C) |
|
Throttle included? |
PC, Steam Deck, Nintendo Change, Android, iOS |
|
Buttons |
N/A |
Design and options
- Loads of customizable inputs
- Flexibility of two sticks
- Good lighting
Whereas I used to be despatched the Sol-R stick’s ‘Duo’ configuration which incorporates two of the sticks and bases to be used on the similar time, anybody shopping for a single one is unlikely to really feel short-changed.
Every stick screws on simply however securely to the bottom, however even earlier than doing that, it’s price taking within the base itself. Each has eight buttons, two dials, a thrust slider (with accompanying lighting), and 1 / 4 of switches.
Shifting to the stick, there’s a delicate button close to the bottom, and a essential set off at thumb relaxation top, with a further one past that. Then there are two hat switches, two extra buttons, and a thumbstick, all of which mix to make menu navigation a lot, a lot easier.
Talking of which, you possibly can really use the F/A-18C Hornet grip or the Viper Grip on the bottom, providing you with loads of flexibility together with your setup.
The blue lighting across the base and high of the stick is a pleasant contact, too, including to the futuristic, area journey really feel.
There’s a satisfying resistance to the dials and thrust slider, however I do want the stick didn’t fairly wobble a lot. The included stabilizers click on on with ease and do an excellent job of minimizing the best way the bottom tends to roll to every aspect, however it’s nonetheless not fairly good in these intense dogfights.
These dials aren’t simply inputs, both. They’re really used as modifiers, so you possibly can set off completely different results for any button, set off, or swap relying on which place they’re in. That makes 44 customizable inputs per stick.
In case you’re a left-handed pilot and also you’re not trying to spend money on each sticks, there’s excellent news — you possibly can swap the included ergonomic helps over to make the Sol-R ambidextrous. And, when you’re searching for the Z axes, yow will discover that by twisting the grip.
It’s additionally price noting that I’ve comparatively giant palms, however the Sol-R matches in them properly in each palms, with the thumb relaxation completely situated.
Efficiency
- Maps as ‘Generic stick’
- Rewards tinkerers
- T.A.R.G.E.T. obtain continues to be very a lot only for drivers
I needed to place the Sol-R to the check with one in all my favourite video games in Elite Harmful. Whereas I did check with extra conventional flight sims, Elite is a sport that’s about exploring area in your individual approach, which means it’s a good way to check out the whole lot from dogfighting to area cargo hauling.
It’s additionally the type of sport that the Sol-R was constructed for, with a complete host of controls to tweak and map — and therein lies the rub.
As a result of the Sol-R, not less than in its pre-launch stage, is recognized in suitable video games as a ‘Generic Joystick’, you possibly can anticipate to do plenty of customization to get it good in your sport of selection. Elite acknowledged each sticks, for instance, however I needed to manually map every button.
That is perhaps one thing that’ll be ironed out at launch, however on the plus aspect, it does provide you with scope to tweak as you see match. In my testing, I received to a extremely good spot the place the thrust slider adjusted my pace, whereas the number of buttons switched energy to varied techniques on my digital ship.
The hat swap and scroll wheel allowed me to verify in-game messages and I might use the toggle switches for touchdown gear. Is that the type of factor I’d have painstakingly performed if the setup defaulted to a “ok” button mapping format? It’s exhausting to say.
For flight sims, it performs admirably, too. The sheer variety of buttons is sort of a clean canvas for the likes of Microsoft Flight Simulator so you possibly can set a button to your altimeter, anti-ice and extra, and the very fact the Sol-R seems as a generic stick means you possibly can tailor it identical to every other.
I additionally performed Star Wars Squadrons, however the sport doesn’t actually need many inputs so it was really extra pleasurable with a single stick. Pulling off tight turns and loops did serve to focus on that wobbliness of the bottom, although.
Thrustmaster’s T.A.R.G.E.T. software program continues to be fairly rudimentary, and whilst you can obtain presets, that wasn’t obtainable for the Sol-R forward of launch — however I’m curious to see how gamers regulate to the instruments on supply. T.A.R.G.E.T. actually simply acts to get your drivers put in in any other case, and to its credit score, it’s a easy, centralized hub for the whole lot Thrustmaster.
Not like the T.Flight HOTAS One, the Sol-R 1 is unfortunately PC solely — so that you received’t be capable of apply it to your PS5 or Xbox console.
Ought to I purchase the Thrustmaster Sol-R?
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Additionally contemplate
Nonetheless not bought on the Thrustmaster Sol-R 1? Right here’s the way it compares to 2 comparable merchandise.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Thrustmaster Sol-R |
Turtle Seaside VelocityOne |
Thrustmaster T Flight Hotas One |
|
Dimensions |
9.72 x 7.71 x 7.71in / 247 x 196 x 196mm |
6.46 x 8.54 x 9.07in / 164 x 217 x 230mm |
10.43 x 10.39 x 9.53 in / 265 x 264 x 242mm |
|
Weight |
2.86lbs / 1.3kg |
1.81lbs / 821g |
5.73lbs / 2.06kg |
|
Platforms |
PC |
PC / Xbox |
PC / Xbox |
|
Buttons |
21, plus thumbwheel |
27 |
14 |
|
Axes |
6 |
8 |
5 |
|
Throttle |
No (however there’s a slider) |
No |
Sure |
How I examined the Thrustmaster Sol-R
- Examined over a interval of weeks
- Used on a gaming PC with an RTX 4070 Ti
- Examined utilizing Elite Harmful, Star Wars Squadrons, and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
I spent the vast majority of my time (round 15 hours testing) with Elite Harmful, just because it has such an unlimited array of issues that may be triggered by the Sol-R inputs.
I additionally had a blast blowing away TIE Fighters in Star Wars Squadrons, and likewise taking over some transatlantic flights in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 — however it feels finest for an open-ended expertise like Elite Harmful the place you possibly can have interaction with an array of techniques with the massive variety of enter choices.
I examined on my gaming PC rig the place I just lately examined the F/A-18 stick and Viper TQS mission pack, in addition to the T.Flight HOTAS One.
First reviewed March 2025